Pakistan Team Director Mohammad Hafeez Blames Players For Poor Performance In Australia And New Zealand: Report

Pakistan's team director and head coach Mohammad Hafeez has reportedly shifted the blame on the players for their recent series losses in Australia and New Zealand, as the local media reported on Thursday. The former Pakistan opener reportedly met interim PCB chairman Shah Khawar, with COO Naseem Salman also present for the meeting.

Hafeez took over as Pakistan's coach after a disappointing World Cup campaign in India last year. However, the 43-year-old's stint hasn't been fruitful either, having been blanked 3-0 in the Test series in Australia. It followed it up with a five-match T20I series in New Zealand as Shaheen Shah Afridi's captaincy stint with a 4-1 series loss.

According to a report by Geo News, Hafeez stated that the cricketers lacked focus on the game when it comes to playing for Pakistan and instead had their primary attention on playing franchise cricket.

Mohammad Hafeez unlikely to be retained as the coach:

Several Media reports have also indicated that Hafeez is unlikely to be retained as coach for an extended period. Following Pakistan's 2023 World Cup exit, Grant Bradburn and Mickey Arthur had also left the setup.

In a recent interview, as quoted by Wisden, Arthur advised Pakistan to have a stable system, which will help the players to thrive.

"If it’s constant change and instability, players go into self-protection mode, and they end up playing for themselves, just thinking about the next tour. It’s frustrating to witness that because players aren’t given a proper chance, there’s no honest communication and they know things are always going to change."

The Men in Green's next assignment will only be in May when they face England in a T20I series ahead of the World Cup.

Published on: Friday, January 26, 2024, 10:18 AM IST